I recently found this photo of my mom standing with my sisters and me on an Easter Sunday morning around 1964. Aside from my stunning fashion … [Read more...] about A New Set of Metrics
A Lesson from a Duel Between the Sun and the Wind
When I was a little boy, my mom told me the fable of a contest between the sun and the wind. They were arguing about which of the two was stronger, … [Read more...] about A Lesson from a Duel Between the Sun and the Wind
Seven Steps to Follow in Growing Your Congregation
It’s no secret the number of people who attend church has been decreasing over the past several years. According to a survey taken by Statista in … [Read more...] about Seven Steps to Follow in Growing Your Congregation
7 Traits of Thriving Congregations: Relevant Practices
Timeless or timely…which would you rather be? It was the mid 1990’s and my friend was in her first semester of seminary. She went to the … [Read more...] about 7 Traits of Thriving Congregations: Relevant Practices
Reflections on Worship and Music Ministry
"Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.” ~ Jaroslav Pelikan I am grateful that I serve Wilshire … [Read more...] about Reflections on Worship and Music Ministry
Learning to Collaborate x 3
When I started out as a young associate pastor, I was deeply aware of how little I knew about ministry. I wasn’t sure how to lead a … [Read more...] about Learning to Collaborate x 3
7 Traits of Thriving Congregations: Humility
A few years ago Jim Collins (author of Good to Great) partnered with the Harvard Business School to do a study of what he … [Read more...] about 7 Traits of Thriving Congregations: Humility
From Risk Management to Risk Taking
On this one-year anniversary of the start of the Covid Pandemic, it seems appropriate to take stock and assess the American Church. For many of us, … [Read more...] about From Risk Management to Risk Taking
Transience
Every year we have a new group of people on the stewardship committee that are ecstatic when we tell them that 10-12% of the pledge campaign comes … [Read more...] about Transience
